For Valor
2010-07-15, 02:22 PM
This comes from the Incarnum/Warlock, anyone? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159983) thread. I posted a combination of Warlock and Incarnate, and it hasn't gotten a lot of original criticism.
NOTE: Before you comment, read the spoilers with my arguments below.
Here it is:http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff210/Dfriendz/Soulocktable2.png
The HD is d8, the skill points are 4 + Int and the skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Know (arcana), Know (nature), Know (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft, UMD.
Everything works like it does normally, and the soulmeld lists come from the Incarnate/Soulborn lists.
The Eldritch blast works just like a Warlock, except now you add your ChaMod to damage.
Soulock Ability: At 6th and 16th level, you can a Soulock ability. You pick one from the list below:
Incarnum Surge: You can increase the essentia of one of your soulmelds by your ChaMod for a numer of rounds equal to half your Cha Score. These rounds do not need to be used consecutively, and you can change your selected soulmeld or end the effect as a free action. This refreshes during your daily meditation period after a full-night's rest.
Invocation of Hopelessness: If you spend a full-round action on an Invocation that requires a save or SR, you can make it so the Invocation no longer allows a save or SR (choose one, not both). You may only use this effect a number of times per day equal to your ChaMod.
Improved Blast: Add +1d6 damage to all your Eldritch Blasts.
Greater Power: Learn 1 new invocation and increase your essentia by 2
Bonus Feat: You may take 1 feat or 1 feat with the prerequisite of being a Warlock
[I]Eldritch Globe: Your Eldritch Blasts can affect an area of effect with a radius of 5ft/level. You may use this ability ChaMod times per day
what else? hmmm.. oh! Invocations. You gain access to them like a regular warlock (6, 11, 16). At 6th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, you can switch out 1 invocation known for any other invocation.
Arguments
So here are my arguments against those who say the class is too strong:
A) You combine the Incarnate with the Warlock. It's like a Gestalt, which means it's pretty strong.
I disagree. The first thing I've done is remove all the flavor, which doesn't hurt too much but brings the classes down a little bit. I've also emphasized MAD here. The class needs to attack (Str/Dex), use Soulmelds and have good HP with a d8 HD (Con), and uses Charisma more than the original Warlock (Cha). I was even thinking about bonus Invocations for a high Charisma.
So this gives MAD.
It also has fewer Incarnate soulmelds, one less chakra (which is a big difference), and less essentia. It doesn't gain Expanded Essentia Capacity (which is important for most Incarnum classes. Now you need to spend feats on that), and it doesn't gain access to the Soul chakra.
Also, remember that the Warlock is Tier 4 and the Incarnate is Tier 3. Toning them down and then combining them yields a low tier2 to medium tier 3.
B) Most of those Soulock abilities are ridiculous.
I concede, they are. +1d6 to an Eldritch blast is decent, and it's probably the weakest of the abilities (actually... that's probably the bonus feat). But I just needed something more to contribute to the differentiability of the class. I don't think the abilities overpower anything too much, though. I'll get rid of them if they do.
C) I'm sure you guys will argue different things...
NOTE: Before you comment, read the spoilers with my arguments below.
Here it is:http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff210/Dfriendz/Soulocktable2.png
The HD is d8, the skill points are 4 + Int and the skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Know (arcana), Know (nature), Know (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft, UMD.
Everything works like it does normally, and the soulmeld lists come from the Incarnate/Soulborn lists.
The Eldritch blast works just like a Warlock, except now you add your ChaMod to damage.
Soulock Ability: At 6th and 16th level, you can a Soulock ability. You pick one from the list below:
Incarnum Surge: You can increase the essentia of one of your soulmelds by your ChaMod for a numer of rounds equal to half your Cha Score. These rounds do not need to be used consecutively, and you can change your selected soulmeld or end the effect as a free action. This refreshes during your daily meditation period after a full-night's rest.
Invocation of Hopelessness: If you spend a full-round action on an Invocation that requires a save or SR, you can make it so the Invocation no longer allows a save or SR (choose one, not both). You may only use this effect a number of times per day equal to your ChaMod.
Improved Blast: Add +1d6 damage to all your Eldritch Blasts.
Greater Power: Learn 1 new invocation and increase your essentia by 2
Bonus Feat: You may take 1 feat or 1 feat with the prerequisite of being a Warlock
[I]Eldritch Globe: Your Eldritch Blasts can affect an area of effect with a radius of 5ft/level. You may use this ability ChaMod times per day
what else? hmmm.. oh! Invocations. You gain access to them like a regular warlock (6, 11, 16). At 6th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, you can switch out 1 invocation known for any other invocation.
Arguments
So here are my arguments against those who say the class is too strong:
A) You combine the Incarnate with the Warlock. It's like a Gestalt, which means it's pretty strong.
I disagree. The first thing I've done is remove all the flavor, which doesn't hurt too much but brings the classes down a little bit. I've also emphasized MAD here. The class needs to attack (Str/Dex), use Soulmelds and have good HP with a d8 HD (Con), and uses Charisma more than the original Warlock (Cha). I was even thinking about bonus Invocations for a high Charisma.
So this gives MAD.
It also has fewer Incarnate soulmelds, one less chakra (which is a big difference), and less essentia. It doesn't gain Expanded Essentia Capacity (which is important for most Incarnum classes. Now you need to spend feats on that), and it doesn't gain access to the Soul chakra.
Also, remember that the Warlock is Tier 4 and the Incarnate is Tier 3. Toning them down and then combining them yields a low tier2 to medium tier 3.
B) Most of those Soulock abilities are ridiculous.
I concede, they are. +1d6 to an Eldritch blast is decent, and it's probably the weakest of the abilities (actually... that's probably the bonus feat). But I just needed something more to contribute to the differentiability of the class. I don't think the abilities overpower anything too much, though. I'll get rid of them if they do.
C) I'm sure you guys will argue different things...